1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a capsule assembling apparatus for neutron-irradiation experiments to develop nuclear fuel and, more particularly, to a capsule assembling apparatus that may enable safe and easy assembly of a capsule with remote working by utilizing clampers and couplers to assemble/disassemble a capsule main body containing test specimens and a protection tube protecting instrumentation lines from cooling water during neutron-irradiation experiments for developing new nuclear fuel in irradiation holes of a research reactor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various irradiation experiments on nuclear fuel in the research reactors have been performed to assess the integrity of the nuclear fuel and develop new one for commercial nuclear reactors. Through these irradiation experiments characteristic data of the nuclear fuel, including high burn-up data or high rates of neutron irradiation data, are collected for performance analyses in comparison with existing nuclear fuel.
In the related art assembly steps, a capsule for collecting fuel characteristic data is usually assembled by welding a capsule main body and a protection tube together. The assembled capsule is transported to irradiation hole of a research reactor, and then used for irradiation experiments. The capsule assembled by welding may be applicable to the inactive nuclear fuel experiments.
However, the capsule assembled by welding may not be suitable for long-term neutron-irradiation experiments. Long-term exposure to neutron environments may cause radiation damage such as embrittlement of the structural materials of the capsule and lead to difficulties in reuse of the capsule, thereby bringing about the necessity of replacing the capsule with new one. The assembly by welding may make it almost impossible to disassemble manually the conventional capsule exposed highly to neutron environments and take the test specimens out of the capsules without dismantling of the capsule, thereby resulting in practical impossibility of nuclear fuel re-irradiation experiments.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a capsule assembling apparatus that may enable safe and easy assembly/disassembly of capsules by utilizing clampers and couplers to assemble capsule main bodies and protection tubes. The capsules may be assembled with remote working using the capsule assembling apparatus within a service water pool at a depth enough to shield radioactivity, transported to the inside of research reactors, and utilized for fuel-irradiation experiments to develop nuclear fuel.